First among Friends: Interest Groups, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Right to Privacy

First among Friends: Interest Groups, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Right to Privacy

Synopsis

In the last several decades, there has been an explosion in the number of amici curiae, or "friend of the Court," briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. Amici are not formal parties to a lawsuit, but file to help inform the Justices about the wider repercussions of the case before them. Public law scholars have long discussed whether these briefs have an impact on the Justices. This book is the first study that seeks to assess the extent of amici influence.